Shock absorber for railway car trucks



Dec. 19, 1950 uc s 2,534,433

SHOCK ABSORBER FOR RAILWAY CAR TRUCKS- Filed Jan. 14, 1949 Patented Dec.19, 1950 SHOCK ABSORBER FOR RAILWAY CAR TRUCK Henry Fuchs, Chicago,111., assignor to W. H.

Miner, Inc., Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware ApplicationJanuary 14, 1949, Serial No. 7 0,959

Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in shock absorbers especiallyadapted for use as snubbing devices in connection with truck springs ofrailway cars.

One object of the invention is to provide a simple and efficientfriction shock absorber, comprising a friction casing, friction shoesslidingly telescoped within the casing, and spring means yieldinglyopposing relative movement of the casing and shoes toward each other,wherein the shoes are pressed against the friction surfaces of thecasing by resilient means under compression reacting between the shoesto spread the same apart.

Other objects of the invention will more clearly appear from thedescription and claims hereinafter following.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, Figure1 is a transverse vertical sectional view of the improved shockabsorber. Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view, correspondingsubstantially to the line 22 of Figure 1. Figure 3 is a horizontalsectional view, corresponding substantially to the line 33 of Figure 1.Figure 4 is a side elevational view of the friction shoe at the righthand side of the improved shock absorber, as-illustrated in Figure 1,and looking from left to right in said figure.

My improved shock absorber, as illustrated in the drawing, comprisesbroadly a friction casing A, two friction shoes B and C, slidinglytelescoped within the casing, a rubber block D, and a spring E opposingrelative movement of the casing and shoes toward each other.

The casing A is in the form of a tubular member of cylindrical crosssection, having a transverse top wall I0, projecting outwardly beyondthe sides of the casing to provide an annular follower flange I I. Thewall H] has a central opening l2 therethrough, adapted to accommodatethe usual spring centering projection, not shown, of the top followerplate of a cluster of truck springs. The side wall of the casing isinwardly thickened at the lower end to provide a friction shell section13 having an interior friction surface l4 extending lengthwise thereof.

The friction shoe B is in the form of an elongated hollow member,upstanding from a disc-like follower I5. The shoe B has vertical sidewalls l6--l6, a transverse back wall l1, and horizontal top and bottomwalls 18 and I9, which extend outwardly beyond the side walls, thebottom wall 19 being formed by the central portion of the follower [5.The outer sides of the walls l6, l6, and I! present a, transverselycurved, continuous friction surface 20, which extends lengthwise of theshoe B and fits the interior of the casing.

present fiat, interior, substantially parallel surfaces, and the backwall I! presents two laterally diverging, fiat surfaces, as shown mostclearly in'Figure 3. The hollow shoe B is open at the left hand side, asviewed in Figures 1 and 3.

The follower I5 of the shoe B has an outwardly or downwardly opening,central recess therein which provides a seat 2| for the usual springcentering projection, not shown, of the bottom follower plate of thetruck spring cluster.

The shoe C is in the form of a heavy block having a longitudinallyextending, transversely curved friction surface 22 on its outer side,slidingly engaged with the friction surface M of the casing A. The shoeC fits between the projecting portions of the top and bottom walls l8and I9 of the shoe B and is thus held against lengthwise movement withrespect to the latter.

The rubber block D is housed within the hollow shoe B in back of theshoe C and is held under lateral compression by the shoe C, which has asubstantially flat face 23 on its inner side bearing on said block.

The spring E is in the form of a helical coil surrounding the casing Aand the shoes B and C, having its top and bottom ends bearing on thefollower flange ll of the casing and the follower I5 of the shoe B,respectively. This spring serves to yieldingly oppose relative movementof the casing A and the shoes B and C toward each other.

My improved shock absorber replaces one or more of the spring units of atruck spring cluster, being interposed between the spring followerplates of said cluster. Upon compression of the cluster of truck springsbetween the spring follower plates, my improved shock absorber iscompressed therewith, the casing A being forced downwardly toward thefriction shoes B and C against the resistance of the spring E, thussnubbing the action of the truck springs by sliding frictionalengagement of the shoes with the interior of the casing. Upon recoil ofthe truck springs, the downward pressure on the casing is reduced, thuspermitting the spring E to expand and return the parts of the shockabsorber to the normal position shown in Figure 1. Inasmuch as thecompressed rubber block D constantly presses the shoes B and C againstthe friction surfaces of the casing, snubbing action is also producedduring recoil of the truck springs.

I claim:

1. In a friction shock absorber, the combination with a friction casinghaving a follower at its outer end; of a pair of friction shoesslidingly telescoped within the casing, one of said shoes having afollower at its outer end, and a stop flange at its inner end, the otherof said shoes having one end thereof abutting said last named followerand its other end engaged in back of said stop flange; spring meansbearing at opposite ends on said followers for yieldingly opposingrelative movement of said followers toward each other lengthwise of themechanism;

and a rubber pad under lateral compression in terposed between saidshoes for spreading the same apart into tight frictional engagement,

with the interior of the casing.

2. In a friction shock absorber, the. combi-na-- tion with a frictioncasing having a follower -at its outer end; of a friction shoe at oneside of the mechanism having a follower at. its. outer:

end; a second shoe at the opposite side of the mechanism havingshouldered engagement at opposite ends with said follower and firstnamed shoe; a rubber pad under lateral compression interposed betweensaid shoes, said 7 shoes being slidinglytelescoped withinthe casing; andspring means surrounding said casingand shoes and bearing atoppositeends on said followers, re-

spectively.

3. Ina friction shock absorber, the combination with a friction casinghaving a follower at its outer end; of a hollow friction shoe open atits inner side and having a friction surface atits outer side slidinglyengaged with the interior of the casing at one side of thesame; a-

terposed between and bearing on said followersyieldingly opposingrelative movement of the same toward each other.

4. In a friction shock absorber, the combination with a friction casinghaving. a. followerat its outer end, said casing beingopen at its innerend; of a. pair of friction shoes: slidingly telescoped within said openend of the casing, one

of said shoes having alaterally outwardly opening. pocket therein; afollower at the outer end of said last named shoe, the other shoe beingseated in said pocket; a rubber pad underlateral compressionin saidpocket bearing on the inner side of the shoe which is seated in saidpocket to spread the shoes apart and force the same against the interiorof the casing; and spring means bearing on said followers respectivelyfor yieldingly opposing relative movement of said followers towardeachother.

5; Ina friction shock absorber, the combination with followers atopposite ends of the mechanism; of: an inwardly extending frictioncasing on one of said followers; an inwardly extending friction shoe onthe other of said followers, said shoe having'a friction surface on itsouter-side engaging the interiorof the casing at one side of the same; asecond shoecarried by saidfirst named shoe, said first named shoe having laterally inwardly extending, longitudinally spaced end wallsoverhanging and engaging the opposite ends ofsaidsecond named shoe, saidsecond named shoe having sliding frictional engagement with the interiorof the casingat the other side-:thereof; a rubber pad under lateral.

compression interposed between said shoes for spreading the same apartintotight frictional engagement with the interior-of the casing; andspring means bearing on said followers respectively for yieldinglyopposing relative approach of said followers.

HENRY FUCHS.

REFERENCES CITED.

The following references are of record-in the" file of this patentUNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,884-3520 f Barrows Oct. 25,1932 2 ,216,231 Dentler Oct 1, 1940 2,242,413 Blattner May 20, 19412,319,078 Haseltine June 26', 19.45 2,388,230 Light l Oct. 38, 19452,141,680 Barrows Dec, 27:, 1948

